i was on ambien (30 pills) about 6 months ago. well those ran out, and i started having trouble sleeping agian a few months later. called the doctor and ask if it would be okay if i got some more ambien. he called me in 30 more, with 5 refils. id love to take em, casue they make me sleep like a dream, but ive heard people say youre only supposed to use them for 7-10 days. will i become an addict if i take all these pills for 6 months? i mean i guess he wouldnt have called em in if he didnt want me to take em, but im very scared about becoming hooked on pills. what do yall think?

I saw a sleep specialist several years ago (about five) and he prescribed Ambien and assured me that they were not addictive and very safe to take for longer periods of time. My OB-GYN shares that same opinion. But, I have heard of other doctors say that they are addictive?

I never wanted to have to rely on a pill to sleep every night, so, I take them sparingly, but I do sleep heavenly when I take one. I do think one can definately become psychologically dependant on them- physically- I don't know? I personally have never had any problems and have taken them occasionally for five years now. I only take half of one and my dose has never increased, but, like I said, I do not take them every night.

Do some interent research and see what you come up with! Good luck and no, you definately do not want to become dependant on a prescription drug. It is NO FUN!

while i agree that ambien should only be used under close doctor supervision, i certainly know it wasn't highly addictive, or addictive at all to me or a few others i know who have had to use it. in fact, it practically saved my life when i was trying to withdraw from OC and H abuse and the severe lack of ability to sleep that people go through during those withdrawals. it might be highly addictive to some people, but i think it has helped just as many who either have bad, persistant insomnia or who went or are going through withdrawals from severe drug abuse. that said, my doctor knew i was an addict when he prescribed it and limited the # he gave me and the time i was on it - like any doctor who knows what they are doing should.

one MAJOR problem with ambien that occurs in many people, but not all, are complete blackouts. especially if the person is mixing them with alcohol. nothing is scarier than waking up in the morning and being told you did something you have absolutely no recollection of.

if you are going to use it, just be careful. and this is just my personal opinion - i am no m.d., just someone who has had experience with this drug - 5 refills of 30 pills each sounds like a dependence waiting to happen. if it already hasn't.

Abuse and dependence: Studies of abuse potential in former drug abusers found that the effects of single doses of Ambien (zolpidem tartrate) 40 mg were similar, but not identical, to diazepam 20 mg, while zolpidem tartrate 10 mg was difficult to distinguish from placebo.

Sedative/hypnotics have produced withdrawal signs and symptoms following abrupt discontinuation. These reported symptoms range from mild dysphoria and insomnia to a withdrawal syndrome that may include abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting, sweating, tremors, and convulsions. The U.S. clinical trial experience from zolpidem does not reveal any clear evidence for withdrawal syndrome. Nevertheless, the following adverse events included in DSM-III-R criteria for uncomplicated sedative/hypnotic withdrawal were reported during U.S. clinical trials following placebo substitution occurring within 48 hours following last zolpidem treatment: fatigue, nausea, flushing, lightheadedness, uncontrolled crying, emesis, stomach cramps, panic attack, nervousness, and abdominal discomfort. These reported adverse events occurred at an incidence of 1% or less. However, available data cannot provide a reliable estimate of the incidence, if any, of dependence during treatment at recommended doses. Rare post-marketing reports of abuse, dependence and withdrawal have been received.

Okay - just a personal view. I've had lifetme sleeping problems and if I take one 0.5 ambien--or even half that a night, I at least sleep for a FEW hours. When I've run out, I'm not had any reactions other than not sleeping again!! But maybe I've been lucky. Best you can do is read up as much as you can from sites on the internet (as User sent)...and then you can make an informed decision. By the way, I never built up any tolerance to them...they may not work as instantly....but the same dosage still works. Hope this helps, Lynn

just giving you my experience and others i have talked to. i am by no means an expert nor do i pretend to be. but it was interesting in your post that 40mg of ambien was equivalent to 20mg of valium according to the quote. the suggested dose of ambien - between 5mg and 10mg, produced basically the same effects as a sugar pill - also taken from the quote you posted from the website. to me that means that if taken correctly, 1 pill (10mg or 5mg) a night for a short period of time would not make it 'highly addictive'. unl;ess a sugar pill is highly addictive. just my thoughts as you have yours, but ambien helped me tremendously in a time of great hardship and i am not going to make that drug out to be highly abused and ineffective, when it wasn't for me and actually helped me. forgive me if i come off as sounding offensive, but i just choose to post my experiences - which are certainly not universal - on this site in hopes that it helps someone else out instead of blanket statements that many seem to rely on from websites. respected or not.

Grey, I take Ambien from time to time (when traveling overseas for jet lag), so don't get me wrong. My doctor told me that he has many patients who became dependent on it, and have a difficult time. In addition, when I quit hydro, he didn't allow me to take the Ambien for sleeplessness (took trazadone for 3 days instead, as it is non-addictive). Just be careful is my point.

I would think that any medication that alters your mood/sleep etc. taken on a daily basis has to be addicting.
After what I've been through on xanax, I would never take anything on a daily basis unless it was absolutely medically necessary.
But definetly not a benzo, sleeping aid or mood altering pill.
Just my opinion. Those class of drugs are dangerous and highly addictive.
Sue

I would think that any medication that alters your mood/sleep etc. taken on a daily basis has to be addicting.
After what I've been through on xanax, I would never take anything on a daily basis unless it was absolutely medically necessary.
But definetly not a benzo, sleeping aid or mood altering pill.
Just my opinion. Those class of drugs are dangerous and highly addictive.
Sue

Sue, I couldn't agree more. I just found this article about the top three abused classes of prescription drugs. What concerns me is the high percentage of opiate addicts that take CNS depressants and anti-depressants, and subsequently become addicted to these: (from Health.org)

"Prescription drug abuse can have very serious consequences, which vary depending on the type of drug abused. Opioids, which include pain relievers such as Morphine, Codeine, Oxycontin, and Demerol, may lead to severe respiratory depression possibly resulting in death. Opioids are extremely addictive, as the user develops a tolerance to the drug they must take higher doses to achieve the same results.

CNS depressants, often used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, include Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax. These drugs slow down brain activity so that when a user stops taking them, the brain activity races out of control, which can cause seizures. Users can also develop a tolerance to CNS depressants after long-term use.

Stimulants such as Dexedrine and Ritalin encompass the third category of prescription drugs commonly abused. These drugs increase brain activity and are frequently used to treat narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. Stimulants increase blood pressure and heart rate and, when abused, may cause cardiovascular failure or seizures."

Now imagine someone taking drugs from all three of these catagories, simultaneously, and tell me the mind-altering effects are not significant.

Tell me about it. I have spent the last 7 months slowly weaning off of xanax. It's a hell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
But cold turkey on benzos (escpecially a high dose) is not an option.
Seizures are the worst symptom, but there are lots more.

I hear ya....but that Ambien sleep is not going to be restful sleep after a while. Sleep will come without taking anything....it might take awhile but it will come......oh yeah, you can't die from lack of sleep.

I think everyone thinks what they have w/d from is the worst b/c they actually went through it.
But my opinion is why jump from the fire into the frying pan. Don't substitute one drug for another, cause the w/d sucks period no matter what you're w/d'ing from.
Agree with Windy, you won't die from lack of sleep.
Two months ago, I slept 2 hours in 2 weeks. It sucked.